Intellectual Ascetic Traditionalist

I've had notes for writing this post on a sticky note for nearly two months now, so I thought I should probably use some of my tea time today to add some meat to the outline skeleton.

Over the winter and spring our community group at church read through and discussed Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. The book is definitely a product of the 1990s and the editor could have done a better job, but it did provide great fodder for discussion and self-reflection. The premise of the book is that there are nine primary ways that Christians connect with and worship God. One isn't better than another and in reality we are all probably a mix of several. Here's a brief rundown, if you want to read a bit more detail click here:

1.Naturalist - Loving God outdoors and in nature

2. Sensate - Loving God with the senses

3. Traditionalist - Loving God through ritual and symbol

4. Ascetic - Loving God in solitude and simplicity

5. Activist - Loving through through confrontation and justice

6. Caregiver - Loving God by loving others

7. Enthusiast - Loving God with mystery and celebration

8. Contemplative - Loving God through adoration

9. Intellectualist - Loving God with the mind

Intellectualist

So where do I fall on the continuum? Turns out I'm an intellectual ascetic traditionalist. Even before this book, I could have told you that the more mental engagement the better. I am eternally grateful that my childhood church valued loving God with the mind as much as they did and still do. Theological or not, if it feels superficial, my mind checks out. I have a difficult time focusing when subjects don't go deep or at least attempt to explore and mine the depths. I appreciate how David and Solomon asked hard (and often unanswerable) questions and wrestled with feelings, ideas, and cynicism. I admire Paul's intellectual rigor in the epistles that have taken centuries to unpack and continue to provide discussion and debate. I love God's invitation to "reason together" in Isaiah.

The book did a decent job of outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each "style" and recommending spiritual practices for each to grow closer to God. The first for the intellectualist is Bible study, which is something I already pursue, but the other two--memorization and witness--intrigued me.

I spent a lot of time memorizing Scripture in school, church, and Awana growing up, but it was something that had fallen by the wayside in my adulthood. Coinciding with our reading of Sacred Pathways, throughout the winter and spring I worked on memorizing a verse-a-week. While unfortunately my mental space has been crowded out with other things at the start of summer, I'm hoping to get back into memorizing Scripture, prayers, and quotes again shortly to give my mind something to mull over and talk to God about or through.

"Witness" is part of the reason I'm currently writing right now. One of the weaknesses of the intellectualist is getting wrapped up in our minds and not actually sharing and expressing our journey of faith. So in an attempt to become more comfortable putting into words what happens in my brain, I'll continue hashing stuff out here in a more public sphere than I would tend to naturally.

Traditionalist

Having grown up in a Baptist turned non-denominational church, a penchant towards the traditional aspects of the church would seem a bit odd. But looking back, I can see how the worship pastor at my childhood church was probably applying the principles of the nine pathways in how he crafted services. Some week were minimalist other were full orchestra. Some weeks were hymn heavy and other contemporary. Some weeks we read Psalms and creeds aloud as a congregation. Upon reflection the aspects that I miss the most about my old church services were the liturgical touches.

I like structure and rhythm, plus there's nothing like repetition to strengthen comprehension. The Church Calendar takes us through the story of redemption every year. Praying, studying, and pondering different aspects of faith in different seasons keeps me from settling in just one area. There's nothing magical about saying the same prayers day in and day out, but it does give me a framework to form my own prayers around. Ritual does nothing for my salvation, but it does daily remind my forgetful human heart that God is present and the Kingdom is at hand.

There's also the aspect of being in sacred spaces that have heritage. Being in buildings where people have worshipped God for a hundred years or more reminds me that our faith is not young or new. That centuries of believers have run the race before me. I've also heard from other intellectually bent Christians that there is something about "high church" that helps us connect our hearts and minds in a way that fosters growth. While neither the Farmer nor I feel led to leave our church any time soon, it wouldn't surprise me if we ended up in a more liturgical leaning church someday or at least for a season.

Ascetic

This has been a more recent discovery in my faith journey and not one I would have thought beneficial before on the surface. I already knew silence and solitude were important to me physically, mentally, and spiritually, but the discipline and simplicity aspects of ascetism have definitely come to the forefront in the last 5 years or so. Removing distractions from so that Kingdom priorities take center stage. Or to quote a Christian minimalist: “Minimalism isn’t about removing things you love. It’s about removing the things that distract you from the things you love.”

None of the practices I have found beneficial are earning me any "brownie points" in a grace-based economy. "Rather, practices are actions we literally do with our bodies that form us spiritually," as author Keri Wyatt Kent put so succinctly. Observing Sabbath has been one we've incorporated into our weekly rhythm and found beneficial not only to our marriage and health, but also our spiritual lives. Fasting from productivity and consumerism one day a week to remind me that God is my ultimate provider and sustainer. The pause also allots time to see if my "loves" are in order as St. Augustine would say. If I can't physically slow down long enough to look deeply within, what idol am I actually serving? As the saying goes, "If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” (origin unknown; attributed to various people)

Downsizing possessions and learning to give above and beyond tithing have also been formative in my spiritual life while doing something in the physical world. I will admit The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo had it's hokey moments, however, I did find this section convicting and compelling: "When we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future." Am I holding onto this item or excess money based on fear? Is nostalgia and sentiment holding me back from living and serving God in the present? Or am I hoarding this resource for fear that I may need it in the future? The scarcity mindset is one I battle and letting things go is a small active reminder that God will provide. An act I literally do with my body, that forms me spiritually.